Drug on Radar -
New Drug Caralluma fimbriata for treatment of Obese PCOS

Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent
plant, in the cactus family, that has been used as a natural
appetite suppressant in India for centuries. It's a new
arrival in the family of cacti and succulent plants that are
becoming increasingly popular for their appetite
suppressant, and weight loss properties, as well as their
ability to lower blood sugar. Supplements made from the
popular hoodia gordonii cactus from the Kalahari Desert in
Africa, are, for example, growing in popularity and usage in
the U.S. and Europe.

Like hoodia, caralluma fimbriata has
been used to suppress appetite, and as a portable food for
hunting. It is used to suppress hunger and appetite, and
enhance endurance throughout India. It is also sometimes
considered a "famine food," used during periods of famine to
suppress appetite. For centuries, people in rural areas of
India have eaten Caralluma fimbriata, which grows wild over
various parts of the country.

Caralluma fimbriata is cooked as a
vegetable, used in preserves like chutneys and pickles, or
eaten raw.

Caralluma fimbriata is believed to
block the activity of several enzymes, which then blocks the
formation of fat, forcing fat reserves to be burned.
Caralluma fimbriata is also believed to have an effect on
the appetite control mechanism of the brain.

Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine)
experts have noted that there are no adverse effects when
using Caralluma fimbriata and the plant has no known
toxicity.

A patented, tested extract of Caralluma
fimbriata has been developed and standardized by a company
called Gencor. Known as "Slimaluma," the extract delivers
the plant in a concentrated form. In India it has just been
marketed.

One of the only products available in
the U.S. that uses the Slimaluma formula is Country Life's
GenaSlim supplement, which combines the patented Slimaluma
extract of Caralluma fimbriata with EGCG (epigallocatechin
gallate) from green tea. Together they reportedly have a
synergistic effect on appetite control and weight loss. In
several clinical trials Slimaluma was shown to be effective
in reducing body fat through appetite control.